Accra: Queenmother killed at naming ceremony in Gbawe

A child naming ceremony turned bloody at Gbawe Zero, a suburb of Accra, last Thursday when a queenmother was shot dead by unknown gunmen.

Another woman, who was hit by a bullet during the incident, is currently admitted to the University of Ghana Hospital and responding to treatment.

The deceased, Pearl Naa Dodoowa Whitaker, 33, was a mother of two. According to persons close to her, her enstoolment rites had been completed and she was only awaiting coronation.

Her stool name is said to be Naa Agyinafo I in Papaase, a community on the Accra-Nsawam road.

The police have since confirmed the incident, saying that investigations into the matter were ongoing.

Crime scene

The Odorkor Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kofi Sarpong, who visited the crime scene, said a chief by name Nii Ayi Solomon 44, known in private life as Ibrahim Ayi Kwashie Solomon, came to report that there had been a shooting incident at his residence, where he was organising a naming ceremony for his newborn baby.

Ceremony

He said the Chief indicated that the programme started at 10 a.m. and by 4 p.m., people had started filing out, leaving a few people around.

“According to him (Chief), the programme started at 10 a.m., so by 4 p.m., people started to leave the place. But there were other things, so some were still there,” he said.

ACP Sarpong said around 7 p.m., the Chief said he was seeing one of the guests off when someone came to tell him that there had been a shooting incident at the venue of the naming ceremony.

Incident

He said he rushed back home and saw two ladies lying down, and immediately, he organised a vehicle to take them to the hospital.

ACP Sarpong revealed that the Chief was currently in police custody to assist in investigations.

A friend of Pearl, Mary Hammond, said she was with the deceased when she was shot.

She said Pearl had served some of the guests present, after which she decided to see off the caterer.

“After a long wait for a vehicle, she finally hired a vehicle for her guest and came back to sit by me near an ice chest,” she said.

"She then took her phone and started fidgeting with it, only to hear a series of gunshots.

By the time I realised she was sprawling on the ground," Ms Hammond said.

As she began to shout for help, Mary said she lifted Pearl and saw blood oozing from her head. 

"I also saw that a woman in front of her was also hit by the bullet," she said.

Ms Hammond said she neither saw the direction from where the bullets were fired, nor those who fired them.

Before then, she said there was a firing of muskets by some young men during the ceremony.

Mary disclosed further that the queenmother, who was enstooled about three months ago, was due to be formally introduced to the public before the unfortunate incident.